I love taking this time right after the school year begins (and before the busyness of the holidays are here), to do a little freshening up around my home. And with a hint of autumn in the air and all the kids climbing onto the school bus every morning, it really is the perfect time to give a little refresh to their bedrooms.

One of the best ways to freshen up a bedroom is by giving it a really strong focal point. In almost every case, I like to make my focal point the wall I see straight ahead of me when I walk into the room. That wall is your blank canvas, and following are a few ideas of things you can put on it! These pictures are all of boys’ rooms, but the ideas behind them would work equally well in girls’ rooms, or really in any room in your home. There are so many hip little trends happening right now in the design world that lend themselves perfectly to children’s rooms.

When we bought our last home, the lower level had never been completely finished (even though it had great ceiling height and the house was almost 100 years old!) There was potential written all over those dingy concrete walls! And so we capitalized on that potential, and added a couple of bedrooms for our boys. In one of them we did a feature wall with this salvaged wood. Adding a wood wall like this, instantly brings warmth to any room, and when you are working with a lower level room that typically has less light, it is always nice to add an element of warmth.

These graphic painted mountain silhouettes make such a cool backdrop for a child’s room. I love this bold color combination of green and blue, but if you prefer a more neutral look, this silhouette would also look amazing in two subtly different shades of grey.

Ahhh wallpaper. I’m so glad it has made such a huge comeback in recent years! It adds so much personality to a room. My absolute favorite ways to use wallpaper are either in a small powder bathroom or entry/vestibule area, or as a feature wall in a bedroom. As you can see from looking at the above image, by wall papering just one wall, the room has a lot of personality, and yet still has an open, fresh, neutral feeling.

Even in those years when I was no longer a student (and didn’t yet have little children I was walking to school!), it always has felt like a fresh start when those first autumn days roll around. So take this time of year to look at your home with some fresh eyes and see if there is a place where one of these looks might have a big impact!